The present invention relates generally to the field of film winding and packaging devices and techniques, and more specifically, to a machine and method for winding film into a scroll and loading it with a film take-up spool into an empty film cartridge such as commonly used in photographic still cameras.
Cartridges of the type assembled by the present invention have been developed and in wide spread use for some time necessitating the need for high speed mass production of fully loaded and assembled cartridges for mass distribution and sale to the public. The cartridge generally comprises a bottom portion having a double chamber for receiving and housing the scrolled film and take-up spool and a cover assembled with the bottom portion and sealed thereto. The scroll of film is generally wound with a layer of protective paper usually provided with appropriate indicia or markings so as to determine discrete lengths of film. The film and paper are appropriately connected to the take-up spool for film advancing and winding during the picture taking procedures. The take-up spool, cartridge cover and bottom receiving portion are preferably made of a plastic material.
Cartridges of the foregoing type have been designed so as to facilitate picture taking by the amateur or inexperienced photographer. Improper loading or insertion of the cartridge into the camera has been avoided by designing the cartridge with one end thereof of a different size or shape than the other so that insertion into a properly designed camera can be made in only one way. Further, these cartridges have eliminated the necessity for rewinding film such as is common in the more sophisticated 35 mm type cameras and have further eliminated the possibility of loosely wound or unraveling rolls of film. Accordingly, the cartridge and cartridge loading cameras have become vastly popular and widely used.
Aa variety of techniques and machines have been designed and developed in an attempt to efficiently and rapidly load and assemble such cartridges. Such prior machines and techniques have involved a series of complicated procedures and steps of assembly requiring a number of operators and have involved complicated machinery for handling and conveying the various components of the cartridge to appropriate assembly and sealing stations. Several guide tracks have usually been employed to separately advance the paper, film and cartridge elements to an assembly or operating position.
One such prior technique of loading and assembling requires the step of preassembling the double chambered bottom portion with the cover prior to loading, transporting the assembled but unsealed cartridge to a loading station, employing means to remove the cover and inserting a scroll of film and take-up spool into their respective chambers in the bottom portion of the cartridge. It has been found that preassembly and consequent removal of the cover is an unnecessary step in the assembly operation requiring additional structure for the assembly apparatus further complicating the machinery and requiring possible additional operators.
The winding or scrolling of the film with backing paper has typically been accomplished by wrapping the film about a driven spindle. Difficulties have been encountered in the prior known apparatus and techniques for accurately and rapidly securing the free end of a strip of film and backing paper to the spindle without causing jam-ups in the machine operation.
Prior art techniques have also involved the taping or otherwise securing the sensitized film to the backing paper which is ultimately interleaved between the wound film so as to properly register discrete lengths of film with indicia or marking on the backing paper for use by the photographer during the picture taking operation. It has been found that this also is an unnecessary step further requiring additional complicating structure.
It is accordingly one object of the present invention to provide a machine or apparatus for efficiently, rapidly and accurately loading and assembling film cartridges of the foregoing type for mass distribution.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for loading and assembling film cartridges which avoid complications of the prior techniques and machines eliminating unnecessary steps and simplifying machinery and equipment.
It is yet another object of the present invention to avoid difficulties in winding the film and paper about a spindle encountered by prior known devices and to provide an apparatus which rapidly and accurately winds the film and paper into a scroll for insertion in the cartridge in a virtually trouble free manner.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a semi-automatic cartridge loading system of improved reliability minimizing supervision and numbers of operators required.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus facilitating complete winding and scrolling operation of the film, insertion thereof into a hollow cartridge along with an attached take-up spool, assembly of the hollow cartridge with a cover, sealing the cover to the cartridge and delivery of a completed, sealed and loaded cartridge ready for labeling and packaging.
The above objects, features and advantages along with other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to be described more fully hereinafter.